Beyond the Stars

Survival

1

Survival

SAW

Skull Range

I woke up in a metal cell, wearing some kind of black jumpsuit and bulletproof vest. It was strange that I knew the room was metal, or it was a cell, when I couldn't remember my own name. Or where I came from or what I was doing here. The room was tiny. My feet touched the door when I lied down. Somehow, I knew I wasn't that tall, since I was only fourteen years old.

I stood up and pushed the door. Solid. Locked. It wasn't meant to be opened.

I stepped back and analysed the situation.

One – if it was not meant to be opened, it had to be opened.

Two – I didn't know what was outside.

Three – I didn't want to be locked up.

The third reason outweighed all the others. Instantly, I knew what to do.

I pressed my fingertips to the door. It rose in temperature, till it grew white hot. It started to melt. A couple of minutes later, the door was simply liquid metal. I smiled. It felt satisfying, for some reason. I stepped over boiling mess into a long corridor. I couldn't see the end. It was too dark.

I noticed a sign over the doorway. It read SAW.

Maybe that's my name.

Okay. Saw, resident of planet Unknown, about fourteen years old, prisoner of Crazy Metal Room for no apparent reason. That would be me.

I ran through the corridor. I needed to get out of here fast.

I stopped. There was a door to my left. I looked up for a sign, wondering who was in there.

It upset me to find out that it said SAW too. It was supposed to be my name.

Never mind. I peeked in through the vent.

The room was empty.

No, actually it wasn't. I had hardly noticed the girl, slouched in a corner. She was almost completely hidden by the shadows. The girl had dark hair and coffee brown skin. She was wearing the same black jumpsuit and bulletproof.

I wanted to help her. Both of us were probably locked in for the same reason, and I was certain from the bulletproof, that reason was going to be dangerous.

'Hello?' I said, knocking on the door twice. She didn't respond.

I turned away hesitantly and let the girl save herself. Something told me every second was more treacherous than the last.

I broke into a sprint. I didn't see any more doors, and had a sinking suspicion I was going the wrong way. But I kept moving.

After what seemed forever, I found the other end. The door was metal.

Don't they ever learn? I reached out to turn the door to smouldering goo, but something stopped me in my tracks.

Voices.

There were muffled voices on the other side. I pressed my ears to the door.

'We need weapons, Centauri, not toys,' said an agitated male voice. 'Weapons, you hear me?'